To Kyoto, Returning
by Ushuaia
Summary: Chapters 3 and 4 up! Who is that man strutting his tattered butt? Sanosuke returns from China, expecting a warm welcome, but found something different instead. Expect sadistical[ly funny] events..
1. Default Chapter

Standard Disclaimers Apply, btw.

To Kyoto, Returning Chapter One: The Man in Tatters 

By Ushuaia

Author's notes: Once again, it's a Rurouni Kenshin fic. This one is (yet again) a sequel. No Kenshin here. Neither is Kaoru. It's just the rest of the gang.

Gazes started flying towards him. He's walking proud, chin up, although his clothes are in tatters and his hair disheveled. He has crown of unruly mane around his face that makes him more like a dangerous mountain troll rather than someone who used to live in this town.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a mother pulling her child away from his path. He could hear murmurs, and-as rounding about a corner-he could feel their rude stares trailing after him.

The sooner I reach Akabeko, the better, he thought.

"Yahiko, I haven't seen you in a while," Tae welcomed a familiar customer in. But she knew better. He only came to see Tsubame. Unfortunately, she is out shopping for a few lacking ingredients and won't be back until later. She led the teen into a booth and said, "Tsubame's bound to come back in a while, You can sit here while you wait for her."

"Well, uhm..." There's a blush on his nose as Yahiko sat in the booth. He meant to stand up and come back later but Tae gave her a stern look that he couldn't refuse. He sat there in silence.

He couldn't blame the head waitress. The last time he said that 'he'll come back later,' he got himself almost arrested for being suspected as an accomplice to robbers because he kept coming back five times without ordering anything.

Kaoru almost gave his ear a bleeding after being scolded.

"Kaoru..." His uneasy face fell down in sadness. It had been six months since she passed away, a year after Kenshin died. He was confused after that, because he felt something he thought he'd never experience again: He was lost again, as if the lonely little pickpocket has come back to haunt him.

He tried everything in his power to restore the Kamiya Kasshin dojo back to its original state in society, as Kaoru had envisioned. Although it is going well, there are times that he felt that it is not enough.

He shook his head slightly as if to shake the grim thoughts away. He must think positive. He must be strong. Or else Tsubame will wonder again why he's so sad.

The entrance of the restaurant slid open and everyone fell into a silent hush. Yahiko looked and saw the most untidiest man on the planet: His face is hidden underneath all that dark brown hair that even that red bandana around his head didn't manage to keep them in place. He's wearing a long sleeved shirt on top of another one, which is thinner. A black belt wrapped around his waist holding both the shirts and his pants in place. His pants are muddy and dirty, as if it hadn't been washed for months. Black boots completes his getup.

His clothes have on thing in common: there are-if not prevalent-holes in them.

"Uhm, excuse me, sir," Tae said once she reached the stranger. "Are you perhaps lost?"

The stranger looked at her that brought Yahiko standing up suddenly. "Do you think I'm lost?!" He asked back. Then went to the nearby table, dropped his equally tattered bag on the floor. "Of course I came here to eat!"

As he started barking out his orders to the obviously scared waitress, Yahiko couldn't help be disturbed and calm at the same time. Still standing, his head peering over to see him more clearly (as like the other customers are doing), he squinted his eyes on him. He looks somewhat familiar...

"Yahiko-chan. I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Tsubame's voice interrupted his thoughts. She's already standing beside him, her wide brown eyes looking at him and her short hair swaying in lieu of her movements.

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me Yahiko-chan," he whined. Seventeen years of age and standing a few inches taller than her, Yahiko Myoujin is not a considered as a child anymore.

"Oops, sorry, Yahiko-chan."

He groaned.

The subtle chatter of the restaurant came back slowly, since the dirty stranger started munching on his orders and in no intention of causing any trouble. That seems to calm Yahiko down, but shot right up again when he saw the headline of a newspaper dated two days ago.

"Nani?! Kanryuu escaped?!"

Tae was immediately beside the Kamiya dojo master and gave him another hard look. Yahiko sank bank to his seat.

"He escaped?" He repeated in a low howl as soon as Tae disappeared.

"I thought you knew," Tsubame said. "The police gave some people the creeps when they come marching around surprising them. I heard the search wasn't over, because we know how crazy that man can be."

Crazy? He was utterly insane, Kenshin should've killed him when he had the chance. But no matter how angry he became (even flipping back his reverse edge sword), he managed only to scare the drug dealer spitless, causing him to went deranged.

"Does Megumi know?"

Her face fell. "Yes, unfortunately."

No wonder the doctor seem to snap at people lately, he thought. The mere idea of him lurking around again scares her. Worse, now that the news is out, it makes her as dangerous as a viper.

"What did she say?"

"Well, she seems to be pretty silent, according to Ayame," Tsubame said. "Which troubles her more."

"Should we go and visit her? She might need a bodyguard," Yahiko suggested.

"Ayame said not to do that. Megumi-san already bandaged a head without air holes, threw a scalpel that got one of his patients nearly killed, and stitched more skin than any doctor around," she said with worry. "If you go, you might lose your head."

Yahiko gave out a chuckle. "Your overreacting, Tsubame. It's Megumi we're talking about. The best she could do to us is--" Chop your whole body off, not just your head, a voice said in the back of his mind. Tsubame has a point. Going to face the Lady Doctor in her giddy position could not be healthy to anyone right now.

"How did she manage the clinic, then?" He wondered.

"Ayame. She's always there just in time to prevent any thing that Megumi-san could do to inflict more pain."

There was a noise, like a shoji opening, then closing. Almost everyone watched him go, and sighed in relief.

However, Tae is not relieved at all.

"That man didn't pay is bill," is all she could mutter.

Takada Kanryuu had escaped two days ago, and Megumi doesn't like it one bit.

The first thing that popped in her mind is that he'll probably seek revenge on the people who placed him in jail: Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sano, and her.

She wasn't that concerned about her welfare as much as she's concerned with the others who could possibly be hurt in the process. Kenshin and Kaoru already passed away. The roosterhead is probably in some country by now. Kanryuu would have opted for Kenji. However, he is off in Edo training under Hiko Soujiro, so he'll be safe there. That left her and Yahiko.

She had to admit that the boy is getting better in his kendo. But-if worse comes to worse-he'll be the only one who could protect them. It's going to be one-sided if Kanryuu showed up with a hundred armed men, which could be a huge possibility.

She sighed. She could also run away. But she promised herself and to the gang that she will never do that. And she won't. Besides, she has work and her patients need her, especially if Dr. Genzai had become bed-ridden for sometime now.

"Uhm...Megumi-san?"

"Yes, Ayame?"

"Your patient." She pointed at the man struggling to get air. Apparently, she overdid the bandages around his face, blocking any air passages. Again.

They hurriedly undid the bandages, and the man choked for air.

Megumi cannot believe her luck. Her brooding about Kanryuu's escape distracted her so much that she almost killed the man-among many others for two days in a row. She immediately got up from her seat.

She was on her way towards the empty operating room to lock herself up and prevent any more disasters when she heard some of the words the two ladies in line are saying.

"--she's possibly lonely. After all, she's not married yet."

"Really? I thought she and that gangster looking guy were getting along just fine."

She slammed the door, hard. And she almost screamed in fright when he saw a man sitting in the room, looking at her with a smug reflection. He's dirty, wearing rags for clothes, and a hair that is in need of serious trimming.

But she saw something else that is very familiar: a danger that only one man can possess.

"Sanosuke."

_Author's notes: _

_Hello and welcome! I am just another writer (not washed up. Struggling, perhaps) putting another statistic in Rurouni Kenshin's fanfictions. _

_This fanfic had come a long way, and it wasn't supposed to be left in my pile of other documents for six months. Shrug Not my fault. It went two months in hiding, and took me that while before I found the chapters. Yes, chapters. More are coming. _

_Giving you something to expect, I am a parody writer. But then writers also grow up and try other genres, without cutting the thread where they started. So expect this to be action-filled, dramatic, romantic, and funny. If any of those descriptions didn't fit at all after you finished reading this, then hunt me down and give me a whacking._

_Hehehe I've lingered long. Have a nice day and happy reading. And oh, reviews, comments and alike are always welcome._

_Ushuaia_


	2. The Shadow Warriors

I Disclaim everything that is related to Rurouni Kenshin and its creator. So, nyah.   
  
To Kyoto, Returning  
  
Chapter Two:   
  
The Shadow Warriors  
  
by Ushuaia  
  
He left the Akabeko in a hurry. At first he felt was disappointment and mild anger for not being recognized by Tae, Yahiko and Tsubame. Yahiko even looked at him as if he wanted to clobber him with his katana.  
  
But it was because of him that changed his mood.  
  
When he blurted out that Kanryuu escaped, he almost dropped his rice he so carefully stacked on his chopsticks, and hurried eating and left as soon as possible.  
  
He stopped in his tracks. He remembered that he had forgotten to pay his tab.  
  
He resumed walking. Well, that's what you get when you guys didn't recognize me, he thought. He was planning to surprise them. He'd order, sit in his usual place, and imagined them making pointing gestures at him. He'd smile, wave, and that's it.  
  
He wasn't that imaginative.  
  
Again, his thoughts floated back to Kanryuu. Two days is enough for someone to plot revenge. He felt a strange cold sensation that's telling him that Megumi will be the first one to go.  
  
He was engrossed on getting to the clinic as fast as he could that he didn't notice the stares and few physical changes around him. It was when he saw a house built near where the road forked: the two roads streaming out at the side of the house. He remembered that that lot was empty before.  
  
How much did Kyoto changed since he left years ago?  
  
Well, he knows that Akabeko's menu had changed, noticing the meal he had earlier. There are also a few trees no longer stood where they should be, and a few buildings that sprang in its place.  
  
The faces of the people are also different. For one, he doesn't know most of them. Yahiko had grown a lot, but Sano is still taller in mere inches. Tsubame had grown into a pretty lady and made a mental note to tease Yahiko about it once they all get reacquainted again. Tae is as stubborn as ever that although his barking his orders when he was still in his bad mood, she held her ground.  
  
As much as he missed them, he misses Kaoru and Kenshin more.  
  
The last thing he remembered about Kenshin is when he helped him take that ride home from China. He was sick. No, in fact, he was really sick, and he promised that he'll follow him back to Japan once he's finished with his affairs there. It took a while before he got back, and his heart ached when he found out that they already passed away.  
  
He stopped when he spotted the clinic. He never heard anything about Megumi since Kaoru stopped writing to him a year ago. Is her disposition still as stubborn as a mule? Does her fox ears appear whenever she get devious? Does she still have that long, dark hair, the one he dearly love to yank?  
  
Is she married? A small, lingering voice whispered at the back of his head, which send him an unexplained uneasy feeling.  
  
The gate is open and he could see a queue snaking out of the clinic's front door. He couldn't risk people getting into a panic. Evidence: Just a moment ago, a woman shrieked when he passed by.  
  
He easily slipped inside and into one of the rooms. There, he sat, and by doing so, he could feel the footsteps on the floor better. With all the time he spent with the lady doctor, he could easily recognize her footsteps.  
  
It wasn't long until he felt her presence by the door.  
  
He heard voices. "--she's probably lonely. Imagine, she's not married yet."  
  
"Really? I though she and that gangster-looking guy were getting along just fine."  
  
He smiled. Megumi isn't married yet. That's one thing that didn't change while he was gone.  
  
She entered and slammed the door behind her. She looked infuriated, but it quickly turned to shock when she spotted him. He realized that she caught him smiling.  
  
"Sanosuke." She said upon seeing him. He stood up, quite pleased that she-at least-recognizes him.  
  
"Well, well, Megitsune," he said, purposely throwing in his favorite nickname of her. "I see you haven't changed." Which is true. Her clothes may have changed, and her hair is a bit shorter, but she still looked at him with the ferocity of a fox.  
  
"And you have. A LOT." She retorted. What the hell is he wearing? He looked more like an ogre rather than an adventurer.  
  
She was looking at him from head to toe, assessing. "Oh, this," he pointed to his clothes. "I got some trouble awhile ago. Couldn't resist to tackle a bastard on the ground," he joked.  
  
"Or in the mud. Did you care to change clothes afterwards?" Then, she paused. "Did you bathe?"  
  
"It was the ground, not horse poop. And besides, I thought you didn't care about how I seem to wear only one piece of clothing?" (A.N: Duh! Doesn't everyone of you?)  
  
"That's because we were certain that you take baths." She walked pass him and to a table where her other medical equipment lay idle until needed.  
  
Sano noticed that her eyes looked afraid when she passed by. "I heard about Kanryuu's escape."  
  
He saw her stiffened, but she continued on sorting the instruments.  
  
"Don't worry," he suddenly declared, his voice completely changed to a livelier one. "Sanosuke Segara is here to protect you."  
  
She gave him a wary look. "You're not exactly Knight in Shining Armor, are you?"  
  
"And you're not exactly Sleeping Beauty, so don't be choosy," he walked towards the opposite wall, found a stool, and dropped his tattered bag on it to emphasis permanence. Then he leaned on the wall and made a production of himself. "I'm as good as it gets."  
  
"I am so doomed," she muttered.  
  
"Hey! You don't get a handsome adventurer to protect you without anything in return."  
  
"Handsome? In your dreams, Rooster Head."  
  
The name was like music in his ears. Finally, he's getting some verbal exercise.  
  
He chuckled. "If you don't consider me as handsome, then how come YOU haven't snagged a husband yet?" He was tempted to see her flare up that he didn't mind throwing that little detail at her.  
  
Megumi was starting to get annoyed. "I don't see any need to get married, especially if all men are as vain and obnoxious as you."  
  
"Yeah, I'm obnoxious. So what? But vain?" Again, he pointed at his clothes.  
  
"After all these years of being non-existent, you have the guts to tease me?"  
  
"Well if only people recognizes me from the start, I wouldn't be such a bully."  
  
"How do you think they're suppose to know?" The tone of her voice rising, also finding out that nobody recognized him-which came to no surprise to her. "You looked like a disheveled rag that had been used for over a hundred years."  
  
"Well, is it my fault that I have no other clothes?"  
  
"You could've also taken a bath."  
  
"You know that I did and that I don't smell, despite appearances."  
  
"If you've noticed, I don't trust that."  
  
Silence.  
  
That was a nice welcome, he mused, even if it was hardly that of a welcome. She stood there, irritated, because of a dialogue mainly consists of his inhuman appearance.  
  
"You haven't changed a bit after all," Megumi retracted, a curve on her lips. " You still have the brain of a chicken to even still verbally fight me."  
  
"And you're still as surly. No wonder nobody bothered to marry you."  
  
One minute he was smiling, the next minute, a scalpel shot right at him, landing on the wall behind him with a solid thud, merely centimeters away from sporting a hole in Yahiko's face when he came bursting in.  
  
What in the world was that?  
  
Yahiko stood there--stunned--for almost being skewered by a scalpel. He had been following the Dirty Guy, suspecting him to be one of Kanryuu's men. He almost suspected it right when he saw the guy stopped at the clinic.  
  
Fear was his initial feeling. He slowly walked towards the clinic, careful not to arouse a panic. But he heard voices--shouts actually--that had him dashing to the room.  
  
It was such a surprise when the Lady Doctor hurled a scalpel towards him. Luckily, it missed. Not a comforting thought, though, but still it missed.  
  
"N-nani?!" He croaked. He looked at the Dirty Man, then to Megumi, then back at the man. It was the first time he saw him this close, and he realized why he looked familiar.  
  
"Sano?"  
  
"Well, well, Yahiko-chan. Finally, you recognized me," he said as he proceeded to rummage his hair.  
  
"Don't-Call-Me-'Chan'!"  
  
"Can't help it, Yahiko-CHAN. I missed it."  
  
"Will you two stop that." Megumi scolded, then started walking towards them. "Now that Sano got his revenge, maybe we can---"  
  
She wasn't even able to finish her sentence. There was a loud blast, and all of them reached for the floor.  
  
Soot and dust splayed everywhere, even in the air they breathe. Shouts and cries of women and children followed the blast. The wall where Sano, Yahiko and Megumi stood is nothing more than tattered paper and splinters hanging in an angle. The wall perimeter now sported a hole. Ahead are two men in black--everything is covered except for their faces.  
  
Sano shot up. Megumi. How will he ever find her in this debris? The woodpile in the middle shifted. Sano hurriedly retrieved her from underneath. Blood flowed from a gash on her left arm. Also, she was knocked unconscious.  
  
Yahiko was also quick on his feet, and ran to meet the guilty party face to face. "You bastards! Who are you?"  
  
"It's a warning," the smaller, rat-faced man said wickedly. "Next time, you won't be so lucky."  
  
They were only two of them, but they quickly carried the chunky cannon as if it was a hollow log, then fled.  
  
Yahiko ran after them. He watched as people parted in fearful haste as the two approaches them. Who wouldn't? They were holding a big cannon that can fire up any minute.  
  
The two men turned to the nearest corners, trying to shake Yahiko loose. Into alleyways they went, and didn't miss the opportunity the crowds are to them. Finally, they jumped on to a roof to catch their breaths and to rest their arms from carrying the load.  
  
"We lost the brat." One of them said.  
  
"Yeah." Said the other.  
  
"Not quite." A third voice piped.  
  
The two men looked behind them. Yahiko had reached the same roof where they are. He had also unsheathed his katana.  
  
"You want to fight, then come and get us!" the bigger one bellowed, then hurled the cannon on his shoulders and fired at him.  
  
The cannonball whizzed on his ear as the young lad avoided it. It went smashing another roof nearby.   
  
The thin cloud of smoke cleared, and Yahiko realized that the rat-faced man disappeared--only to reappear right behind him.  
  
"Gotcha!" He uses knives, and if Yahiko didn't quickly blocked his attack with his sword, he might have a cross-shaped wound across his chest.  
  
Rat Face jumped a few feet away, then used his agile feet to hurl himself back towards Yahiko with his knives. Yahiko jumped away, just in time as the roof where he was standing on turned to bits.  
  
"What the--?!" The teen landed on one of the remaining sturdy tiles.  
  
Rat Face grinned. "That's what I call Destruction." He chortled, then went back to give him another blow. But this time, his knives doubled.  
  
Again, the ground turned into ashes as Yahiko evaded his attack. However, a cannonball got him in midair.   
  
He landed on the street with a crash.  
  
"That's what you get for messing with the Shadow Warriors."  
  
When Yahiko finally got up, they were gone.  
  
When he came back to the clinic, people had already swarmed the clinic's perimeter.   
  
"Somebody get the doctor!" Somebody yelled.  
  
"Are you stupid? She's the only doctor around here!"  
  
When Yahiko emerged from the crowd and dashed towards Megumi's side, Sano had already carried her into his arms, a tourniquet tied on her arm to keep from further bleeding.  
  
There's only one man who could do this, Sano thought grimly. "Kanryuu."   
  
Authoress' notes:  
  
I liked this chappie very much because of the verbal fight. Hehehe I hope you guys did, too. Although it's a bit long.. and so sorry that it took me this long to update. I wasn't near a 'net-connected computer to have this uploaded.   
  
If any of you have watched that OAV where Kenshin died..well, that's where this fanfic jumped off to. Oh well. shrug  
  
You know, I suddenly missed the old website...where I do get to see some of keypad characters in this fic. Oh well. This one works okay...  
  
Ushuaia 


	3. The 'Barging In' Story

I Disclaim everything that is related to RK. The characters are used for creative and entertainment purposes--except for the Shadow Warriors, for they are mine. Hehehehe Babble, babble, babble..  
  
Chapter Three:  
The 'Barging In' Story  
  
"How is she?"  
  
Sanosuke quietly slipped inside the room where Megumi slept. Ayame sat beside the futon, together with Suzume. Both children grew up into healthy young ladies, although Suzume can be quite considered as a child still.  
  
They are in Kaoru's house.  
  
"She's sleeping. She woke up earlier--a little dazed, though--and we gave her some laudanum for the pain," Ayame replied as she squeezed a small towel from a nearby basin and placed it neatly on the doctor's forehead to fight the oncoming fever.  
  
He didn't move from his place. He remained standing and surveyed the room. The windows are closed, and the paper screens gave ample light to the room. They used Kaoru's room to settle Megumi in temporarily. Actually, Sano was thinking to let her stay here until Takeda is caught. It will be much safer too, since he and Yahiko are also staying here and they will be able to protect her. The adventurer moved out of his low-cost renting abode years ago before he went to China, and now--with no place to stay--Yahiko suggested to use one of the spare rooms.  
  
He watched Megumi and her labored breathing, spotting a few streaks of sweat on her cheek going down to the side of her face. Suzume and Ayame looked on, stillness and worry enveloping the whole room.  
  
Finally, Suzume spoke, destroying the foreboding silence. "Who...who did this to her?"  
  
It was meant for Ayame, but it was Sano who replied. "He was a bad man." And he's going to pay, he added mentally. He slipped his fingers into the shoji's cracks and slid them open. He made his exit quietly.  
  
It wasn't the welcome he expected. Hell, it was lot worse than he expected. That ignorance he received in Akabeko is nothing compared to the possibility that somebody might die today. The clinic closed down earlier than usual, and probably will be closed until the extensive damage of the clinic could be repaired. The cannonball went through the other side of the house, but it didn't produce any more casualties. It just states that it was really Megumi they were after.  
  
But why her alone? If it weren't for their meddling too, Takeda wouldn't be in jail. Sano walked along the all-familiar corridor that led to the outside, where Yahiko, Tsubame and Tae are sitting out in the front porch. Actually, Sano had now an inkling that made it obvious why he wanted Megumi dead. After all, she supplied him with opium, and she ran away, dragging them in the process. If she didn't run away that led to Takeda's downfall, he wouldn't be this vengeful.  
  
It wasn't her fault. It was Takeda's fault. He knew for a long time that it wasn't Megumi's fault, because she was dragged and blackmailed to produce that stuff.  
  
"How is she?" Yahiko asked upon seeing him approach. All three of them--Tae and Tsubame--are drinking tea. It seems the Akabeko girls brought something edible with them.  
  
"She's fine. A slight fever, but she's fine," he replied, then sat down beside him and leaned on the post beside him.  
  
"We brought her some soup," Tae said. "Tsubame made it."  
  
"Really?" Sano asked. "She can cook?"  
  
"Yes, I can cook," Tsubame replied, a bit torn. But understanding that he wasn't here in Kyoto for a long time to know that she learned how to cook, she explained, "Tae taught me how to. Though I don't understand exactly why she said that it has something to do with getting a boyfriend."  
  
Yahiko choked his tea out. Tae supressed a giggle. Sano laughed. And still, Tsubame didn't get it.  
  
"See, you knew," Tsubame announced bitterly.  
  
Speaking of which, Sano remembered a certain teasing he promised to himself he'll do to Yahiko. "And someday you will--unless someone here doesn't be such a prickhead and make a move already."  
  
"Why you--" Yahiko got up, ready to tackle him.  
  
Well, he guessed right. Yahiko didn't make a move at all when he was away.  
  
"Speaking of boyfriend, Tsubame," Sano said, completely ignoring Yahiko. "Why haven't you got a boyfriend yet? You're pretty. It will be easy for you."  
  
"Pretty?" Tsubame blushed. "Me?"  
  
"There were a couple of boys who took a liking of her and she didn't even noticed," Tae said aloud, remembering.  
  
"I bet someone got jealous."  
  
Yahiko have his arm round Sano's neck in seconds, trying to strangle him. Sano is blushing for air, while Yahiko is blushing in embarrassment.  
  
And in minutes, Yahiko backed out, wiping his arms on the side of his trousers. "Sano, you should take a bath."  
  
It took a while before Sano realized that it wasn't a joke. "I already took a bath!" he bellowed.  
  
"And you should shave," Tae added. "You look like a hermit."  
  
Everyone looked at him in quiet disgust. They were polite not to berate him further about it, so the three stared meaningfully at Sanosuke instead. Yahiko backed away a little and slumped back on his seat.  
  
"I took a bath yesterday," he replied in defense. "I remember there was a festival in a nearby town and I took a bath to be in the festivities."  
  
"Oh, you mean that Flower Festival?" Tsubame asked. "I was there. Three days ago."  
  
"No, it was--" Yesterday? Now that he thought about it, he had a little problem with dates and he had been screwing the days for sometime now. He had a few mistakes back then, but he was able to go around it.  
  
By the serious looks he's getting, there is no way to go around this one.  
  
Crap.  
  
It wasn't long before Ayame and Yahiko prepared a bath for him. "I'll take care of your clothes," Ayame said, "you can place it in the bin outside the bathroom."  
  
He went inside and started taking his clothes off. He placed the dirty garments on the wooden bin outside. He sank into the warm water and sighed heavily. He felt like home again, and he can relax. Smoke floated around him and he sink down further. His muscles eased. His eyes drooped.  
  
There was a glint on the stool in the room. Sano saw the knife Yahiko provided to shave his beard. He chuckled. He wasn't welcomed properly, Megumi got almost killed, and they had the nerve to insult him. Well, okay, most of it are true, and they're family.  
  
He laughed. Hard.  
  
Outside, Ayame and Yahiko exchanged baffled looks at Sano's sudden laughter.  
  
"Do you think we placed too much wood in the fire?" Ayame asked.  
  
"I don't think so. He's laughing. He must be yelping in pain if the water's too hot for him," Yahiko explained and continued to meddle with the firewood in the hearth.  
  
Megumi's eyes fluttered open. Where am I? She stared at the familiar ceiling before she realized where she is.  
  
Kaoru's house.  
  
She sat up and felt a sharp pain on her left arm. She was wearing Kaoru's bedclothes; she pulled the sleeve up and saw bandages wrapped around from shoulder to elbow. Damp cloth fell from her forehead and onto the futon. She noticed her own fever and Suzume is leaning on the wall nearby, sleeping.  
  
It took a while before the events earlier came back to her. She remembered Sanosuke's surprise return, greeting her with that insane chatter. Then Yahiko came bursting in, just in time when she hurled a medical instrument--which turned out to be a scalpel--a few centimeters between the teenager and the adventurer's faces.  
  
There was a loud blast and she blacked out.  
  
What in the world happened to me? She stood up and felt herself almost fall off. This is probably the effect of the laudanum she had earlier. She regained her balance after leaning on the wall for a minute, then resumed walking towards the door.  
  
"Megumi-san!"  
  
Suzume woke up and ran to her side. "You should be in bed!"  
  
"I'm all right now, Suzume," she replied. "What happened anyway?"  
  
Suzume helped Megumi back to her futon as she explained all she know. She said that the blast was fired from a cannon and she was hurt in the process. "We don't know who did it to you. Sanosuke-san seem to who it is, though..."  
  
Of course! Takada Kanryuu! That realization sends chills to her body. "Do you want some soup, Megumi? Tae-san and Tsubame brought some earlier." Suzume said, then headed to the door without waiting for her reply.  
  
Megumi checked her wound and found that it started to bleed. "And could you get me some bandages and--"  
  
The shoji slid shut.  
  
"--Water?"  
  
I can get my own basin of water, she said to herself, feeling that familiar independence again. She doesn't feel lightheaded anymore, and she could use some walk to clear up some things in her confused head.  
  
She stood up, wrapped a jacket around her shoulders and went out.  
The cold wind slapped against her clothes gently as she made the walk to the nearest source of water-the bathroom. And sure enough, the sky is getting that Indigo color announcing that dusk has come at last. The day that Kanryuu would make his attack on her had come at last, and felt a mixture of anger, worry, and a bit lost.  
  
But she has to find a way to keep Kanryuu from hurting anyone else. Megumi had a feeling that she was the only one who got hurt, and she felt glad about that. At least it was her, not Yahiko, Ayame, or Sano. It is going to be her fight.  
  
Now, all she has to do is to make a plan.  
  
She rounded a corridor, never noticing that Yahiko and Ayame were by the hearth, making sure that Sano's bath is warm enough. All of them have their backs to each other. And Megumi doesn't know that Sanosuke Segara had the bathroom occupied.  
  
The bin where Sano's clothes are supposed to be is empty. Ayame took the clothes away at once and burned it in the hearth. So there was no indication that the bathroom isn't vacant. She started to feel a little lightheaded too, and thought that the thin smoke emitting from the cracks of the door is just a haze of her vision.  
  
Sano rose from the bath and decided to clean up his face from the hair. His eyes widen when he saw himself in the mirror: all that tangle mess of hair in his face and head, it's a wonder how can his old fading red bandana can hold that much hair. He does look like a hermit. He took the knife, and started shaving.  
  
Only a few strands are poking from his chin when he finished, deciding that he look human and hygienic enough to have Ayame cut his hair short after his bath. At least have her approach him is enough.  
  
There was somebody at the door. "Ayame! Don't burn my clothes, will ya?" He yelled, but it was too late.  
  
The door slid open and he was staring at Megumi's shocked face.  
  
Then he remembered that he's naked.  
  
Crap.  
  
Authoress' notes:  
  
The Authoress walked along the path without any worries at all. After all, her story is going well like she planned it. Then again, she felt her hair pricked on her neck. She turned around and saw the grim stares of her readers.  
  
"What?!" With a tone of innocence in her voice. "As if you didn't enjoyed reading it..."  
  
I am an EVIL author. I know that already.  
  
Anyway, I'm planning to put back some characters. One of them is Sano's reporter friend, who's also a member of the Segara Troop force. I think his name is Katsu. I need more research on characters names...I also have other characters in mind, but since I ain't as sure as Katsu, so no use revealing them here.  
  
Reviews are, as always, grateful. Feedback is also welcome. Thank you.  
  
Ushuaia 


	4. The 'Bargin In' Story Part Two

All Rurouni Kenshin characters, merchandise, and 'OROs' are not mine. I am a fan, and a writer, and doing what I like to do best.  
  
Chapter Four: Still in the 'Barging-In' Story  
  
Authoress: Nyahahahahaha!  
  
Her heart thudded in panic. Her eyes involuntary surveyed his body in haste: from his head to that thing in his groin, then to his feet, then back to that thing in his groin, and finally to his face. When Sano gave her that shocked gaze, she realized what just happened.  
  
She closed the door. Hard.  
  
She wanted to scream, but her voice was stuck somewhere on her throat. She could hear his quick footsteps around the bathroom and finally him approaching the door. She wanted to run, but her feet won't cooperate.  
  
The shoji door opened and they both stared each other with shock.  
  
"Hell, woman! Can't you let a man have his bath in peace?" he barked. She noticed that he is now wearing a towel around his waist.  
  
She blinked a few times, and then realized that he was actually accusing her. "Excuse me?! But do you have a brain to actually lock this door?!"  
  
"Dammit! Didn't you noticed my clothes on the--" he gazed down on the empty wooden bin. "Where the hell did they go?!"  
"I came here to get some water," she said.  
"Why don't you get from the well?" he barked.  
  
"It's too far away, and I'm getting dizzy. The only way I can get some water is to come to the closest place I can find it," she retaliated.  
  
"Why didn't you asked Suzume?!" He paused. "And what in damnation are you doing out of bed, anyway?!"  
  
"Suzume left before I can finish my request," she brawled. "And it's none of your business if I stay out of bed or not! You're not my doctor!"  
  
"And you are! So you should know best!"  
Before the fight can get any fiercer, Yahiko, Ayame and Suzume came running towards them.  
  
"What happened?" Yahiko asked.  
  
Sano and Megumi looked at each other meaningfully. They decided not to tell that Megumi suddenly opened the bathroom door in Sano's private moment. At least, it's something they had agreed about without hesitation.  
  
Sano was about to speak, but Megumi beat him to it. "I was asking for some water, and Mother Hen here started scolding me for being out of bed."  
  
They stared at Sano, who was starting to get furious at the sly fox every minute. Okay, at least being a 'Roosterhead' had its grand chauvinistic ideals intact. Now, Megitsune reduced her to a Mother Hen.  
  
He noticed that they were waiting for his reply. He nodded stiffly.  
  
"Oh my!" Ayame exclaimed and turned around, bringing Suzume to do the same.  
  
"What is it now?" Sano said impatiently.  
  
Yahiko knows why. "Uhm, Sano? There are girls present. You could finish whatever you are--"  
  
The shoji door shut with a hoarse rasp. Seconds later, it reopened again, this time, shoving Megumi a bucket-full of water from the big water bin inside. And without any more cursing or a mere grunt, he shoved the bathroom door closed again in their faces.  
  
Megumi is not going to have a peaceful sleep tonight.  
  
She was back in Kaoru's room; she is sitting upright while Suzume and Ayame tried to convince her to eat her dinner. But her thoughts are somewhere else. She should've apologized for her earlier intrusion, although it wasn't her fault. He should've put some indication that he's using the bathroom. All right, maybe the smoke coming from inside is an indication, but she was lightheaded to think of it.  
  
In fact, he was the one being unreasonable. He shouldn't have that little event bother him a bit. He's a man, after all, and should handle it with more composure. And why is he being angry about it? Besides, he knew that she wouldn't tell it to anybody.  
  
So why does she have to apologize to him in the first place?  
  
His naked image came back to her mind again. She shook her head to get rid of it. But the image is still there. She had been treating the bruises of Sanosuke that she didn't mind him being a bit naked, so it was a surprise that the gangster managed to lump his frame a bit with muscles.  
  
But she knew it was something else she saw that bothered her the most. And that's the reason she doesn't want to dwell on it.  
  
"Megumi-san?"  
  
Suzume's voice snapped her back to reality. "Why aren't you eating your food?"  
  
Megumi looked down at her untouched plate, "I guess I'm not hungry."  
  
"But you have to eat something, even though the fever's gone," Ayame frets. "You have to get your strength back."  
  
"I managed to get water all by myself," she debated.  
  
"Yes, but you got all wobbly again on the way back," Suzume counter debated.  
  
The lady doctor sighed. These two is going to be the most wonderful--if not tenacious--nurses in the future, she said to herself. She resigned, and took a sip from the soup Tsubame made. "It's delicious."  
  
"We know. Now try the rice and fish," Ayame instructed.  
  
The two are trying their best to make Megumi eat her food. "I'm not hungry, really..."  
  
"EAT!" Both of them said to her at once.  
  
Megumi blinked and tried to eat as much food as she can. Dr. Genzai's granddaughters only stopped fretting when she told them that she's going to vomit all of it if she eat any more. Suzume took the dishes to the kitchen, while Ayame changed the dressing.  
  
It was until she finished that they heard a knock on the door. "Megumi? It's me, Sanosuke. Can I please speak to you in private?"  
  
Ayame looked at Megumi, and she gave her a small nod. The girl picked up the bandages and the basin then opened the door. Sanosuke is wearing some of Yahiko's clothes, and Megumi noticed that the trousers are short for him. Ayame excused herself and closed the shoji door.  
  
Sanosuke sat on the other side of the room. His face had gotten that awful mass of hair off, although few hairs seem to poke up from his chin. He also looks like that he had his hair cut. Now, he really looked more like Sanosuke Segara that she know, and she'll whack anybody who still cannot remember him.  
  
"Yahiko's clothes?" Megumi pointed.  
  
"Yeah, unfortunately. That little brat had my clothes burned when I was taking a bath," Sano said in condemnation.  
  
Just the mention of bath made her think of the events earlier, and decided not linger about it than she already is. But it was good of Yahiko to actually do something with those ugly clothes of his. Of course, knowing Sanosuke, that same act of kindness cost the poor seventeen-year-old some punishment. "Let me guess. You tackled the poor boy."  
  
"No. I had him hung inside the dojo upside down."  
  
Megumi suppressed a chuckle. She smiled instead.  
  
Sano let himself smile, too. At least she wasn't that irate of him doing harm on the lad. Yahiko is, after all, old enough to take care of himself. He just hoped that he'd hang around much longer to know the importance of somebody else's property.  
  
"So what brings you here?" Megumi asked. "Are you going to give me another scolding after what happened in the bathroom?"  
  
"No," he replied. "I'm here to forgive you about it."  
  
"Forgive me? On what?"  
  
"On your sudden intrusion."  
  
Is he saying that it was--after all--her fault? "Why would I apologize? I didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"Yes, you did," Sano pressed. "And I forgive you. I know it wasn't your fault that happened, and you can repay me for not telling anyone about it."  
  
Megumi curved an eyebrow at the sudden realization that Sano is actually blaming her for what happened earlier. "I won't accept your forgiveness, because the fault lies at someone else. But I can promise you I won't tell anything."  
  
Sano can see a fight going on, and he promised that he wouldn't lose his head again at an injured person. And he wasn't surprised that she'll keep that little accident a secret. At least she's being cooperative about that. "All right."  
  
"All right," Megumi repeated.  
  
"Now to the real reason why I came here," Sano sat upright and leaned forward, "is to warn you now, Megumi. You're not going after Takeda alone."  
  
The doctor winced. She should have expected that he would learn her plan this quickly. "With Takeda's escape and two thugs came to inflict injury on innocent people doesn't give me any choice."  
  
"You're as pigheaded as ever. Do you know that?" Sano asked.  
  
"And you're as condescending as ever." Megumi turned serious. "But he'll never stop until he get me, you know that. After all, I started this mess years back."  
  
"We helped him go to jail, remember? So there's a huge possibility that he'll hunt us down as well." said Sano. There's no explaining who is the 'we' he's talking about.  
  
She lowered her gaze in a blissful contemplation. "I know. It gave me a new start." Then she looked up him. "Thank you."  
  
He somehow missed looking at her dark eyes, and it's a bit hard to turn away from them. "No need to say it." Sano stood up and headed towards the door. "Go to sleep. I'll visit Katsu tonight to check if he has something to tell us. And if I came back and found out that you ran away, I'll bring you back and you'll be the one tied up in that dojo upside down."  
  
She stared at him defiantly. It gave her a warm feeling. She's lucky to have a friend like Sanosuke, although his way of helping her has half of it a bit threatening. "I'll remember it," she smiled.  
  
He was about to open the door when he stopped and turned to her again. "And one more thing."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Don't ever call me Mother Hen."  
  
There was a sudden chuckle behind the door and it was then that they both realize that there were eavesdroppers. Sano opened the door so wide that it exposed Yahiko, Ayame and Suzume, trying to suppress a laugh.  
  
"You're a Mother Hen?" Yahiko asked amidst giggles.  
  
It doesn't matter how Yahiko got the ropes in his ankles untied, but Sanosuke made sure the evil brat from hell doesn't this time. Sano left the Kamiya compound moment later, but making sure that the point of his punishment this time is to never say anything about Mother Hen ever again.  
  
Author's notes:  
  
That was totally invigorating. Actually, writing the last two chapters excited me as much as I was laughing (They were nine pages long, so I have to chop them into two). Those chapters had been fun--not to mention a bit naughty. Having situations turn up one after the other is mentally exhausting on my part, and a bit memorable. Remember that the Kenshin-gumi used to eavesdrop on each other? Old habits die hard, they say.  
  
Last chapter I said about some old characters turning up again this time around, and one of them is Katsu (Oh, I hope I got his name right). He wasn't a regular in the series, but he was extremely helpful. Not to mention that he's Sano's friend.  
  
And now, I bid you farewell temporarily. And thank you for reading all the way here.  
  
Ja mata!  
  
(Oh..sorry if you guys have to wait for these chapters. )  
  
Ushuaia 


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